[Prompt] Winter's Feast

Lore World's End Tavern: Role-play and Fan Fiction
1

A woman comes up to you with ragged clothing. She begs you for coin to buy her children a feast worthy of this special season. Winter’s Veil is always so sad and depressing for her children and she just wants this one to be special. How do you react? Do you pull away and ignore her plea or give her coin?

This is meant to be a fun exercise, so there aren’t many rules. I ask that posts be limited to two or three, as much longer is more like a short tale probably befitting its own thread.

Prompts are fun little things meant to inspire. You don’t have to perfectly match the prompt. Just let it inspire a thought.

I’m going to try and post these weekly, sometime between Saturday and Monday probably. Feedback and prompt ideas are welcome, so feel free to post them in here as well. Some prompts will be more thought provoking, some more whimsical. Respect your fellow writers.

2

Etzul sighed as she walked through the streets of Dalaran. The city seemed relatively empty, given the wars waging about, and few people stood on the streets. The air was noticeably cooler, given the time of year. If Etzul was still alive, she would be able to see the misty condensation of her every breath.

But she wasn’t.

Shops, despite the slower pace and fewer customers, were still lit up with decor and lights to celebrate Winter’s Veil. A stupid holiday to the death knight. A waste of resources. Still, Tinkahra was insistent that they meet for cocoa and cookies at her favorite bakery.

As Etzul turned the corner, she spotted a ragged woman with a small bucket. She was talking with a gentleman who placed a few coins in her bucket and went on her way. A haggler. Etzul nearly turned to take another route, but the woman was upon her.

“Ey dere mum.” The woman was a troll, judging by her voice. Etzul tensed up. “Please be ha friend. Mah kids be hungry, nevah had ha good feast before. Want to be giving dem sumtin nice dis year.” She smiled

Etzul scrunched her nose and scrutinized the woman. Her features seemed ragged despite her young age. Probably from the stress in her life or something. Etzul did not care. She pushed passed the woman and smacked her bucket down. It didn’t fall over and spill, but a few coins flew out. Etzul grumbled as she walked by. “I don’t do freebies, woman. My coin is my coin! Stay out of my way.”

The woman looked dejected as she picked up her bucket, but it was far from her worst encounter. Etzul turned into the bakery and glanced around. Tinkahra wasn’t here yet.

After Etzul turned into the bakery, another figure turned onto the street. Tinkahra. She had a varitable bounce in her step as she hummed a little tune. Winter’s Veil was her favorite season, though Hallow’s End was a close second Hallow’s End had candy, but Winter’s Veil had true blue desserts!

Tinkahra saw the downtrodden troll collecting her bucket. “Whatcha doing?”

The woman looked up at her, startled to here orcish from a night elf. “Ey… just be pickin up. Collectin coin to elp my little ones ave a feast! Dey nevah ave much dis season.”

“Oh!” Tinkahra smiled as she helped her up. “Here!” She took several coins from her own purse and added them to the woman’s bucket. “This is the best season for treats! Get them something nice!” Tinkahra chuckled and waved as she continued on to the bakery. As Tinkahra entered, she saw Etzul sitting in the back. She grinned and made her way to her.

“Took you long enough.” Etzul sighed.

“Yeah, about that. I forgot my coin purse.” Tinkahra laughed.

Etzul scowled as her eyes turned bronze. “Forgot? Or gave it away.”

Tinkahra chuckled nervously as Etzul stared at her. “Oh there is no fooling you.” She rubbed her arms nervously. “So…” She tried turning on the charm as she looked back at Etzul. “You buying?”

Etzul scowled. “I guess.”

1 Like
3

“…so, obviously, I sent him off with an arrow sticking out of his arm,” Lucille explained to Snowsky. The manarunner walking beside her just let out a snort, and shook his head as if in disbelief. Lucille frowned, “Really? You should be lucky I didn’t let that thief steal from our stash. The one he was going after was all of your billberries.”

Silence fell over them, and Lucille looked back up from her companion. The streets of Stormwind were surprisingly empty. Any time Lucille had been there before, it was always filled with its members. Some form of drunken paladin sauntering about, proclaiming the extermination of the Horde. Or gushing over their great faction. Perhaps both at the same time. Usually both, now that she thought about it more.

It was one of the reasons she never really stayed in the city. She’d only show up when she felt like it, or when her cousin wanted to spend a holiday together. And now, it was the latter. At least the number of paladins trying to indoctrinate her back into the Alliance was sparse. Only 2 this time around. With a dismissive shake of her head, Lucille glanced back to Snowsky, “Besides, we’re lucky that the thief didn’t think to go after Iro’s food stash. It would have taken ages to get the gore out of the greenery.” Snowsky let out a snort of reluctant agreement.

She went to continue their small conversation, when footsteps echoed from behind them. She forced herself to unwind her already tightening muscles, and turned back slowly to come face to face with a rather forlorn looking Gilnean and a small child in tow. “Hello there. Did you need something…?”

It seemed they were part of those displaced. There was a small setup of a fire and blankets just a few feet away. A small cluster watched the interaction between them. As her focus wandered about, the Gilnean woman spoke, and brought her back to reality. “Aye. Uh… sorry for botherin’, jus’, ah… d’ye have any spare coin…?” The words were so quiet Lucille barely even caught them. The Gilnean woman’s face was painted with shame.

She felt a pang of pity. Threads of faint memories came back, of a look like that on her own face once. “I think I might,” she said tentatively, patting down the small bags on her belts. She glanced to Snowsky, “It’s coming from your berry money, by the by.” He hardly even seemed to hear her. The small human had taken a liking to him, and was running her fingers through the sky blue mane.

She located the gold she’d brought along, fingering it with a thumb to split it. She never carried that much on her through the city, usually just enough to get a few meals from an inn or some food for her pets. She pulled out her hand, the small handful of gold in clutch, and held it out in front of the Gilnean woman.

“I’m sorry I can’t offer much gold,” she remarked, shrugging. “I don’t usually like carrying too much in this place.”

The Gilnean woman nodded. “If it’s trouble, y’don’t need to–”

“Oh, nonsense. I’m sure we’ll live.” She held her hand out a little more. “Besides, Winter Veil is a time of giving.” She grinned, “Think of it as an early present.”

The woman nodded slowly. She drew out her hand, picking the gold slowly. Her fingers shook. “I… I dunno what t’say, miss. Thank you so much.”

Lucille dipped her head. “Of course, miss.” She glanced over to Snowsky. He was crouched onto the floor, with the small human still running her fingers through his mane. She chuckled, “You know, some people say that befriending a 'runner is good luck.” The small human looked up. There was a small, shy smile on her face. She winked at her, and then nodded to both. “Stay safe, both of you. Have a happy WInter Veil.”

The woman nodded, motioning for the young one to follow her. “O-of course, miss! Thank y’so much-- again. Have a good Winter Veil.” The two scurried back to the small setup of refugees. The Gilnean woman and her child sat down, then started spreading the gold amongst the group.

Lucille hummed, and smiled as Snowsky got up besides her. “As much as I make fun of the Alliance sometimes,” she remarked to him, “I have to hand it to their citizens. They never cease to make me smile.”

She turned away to continue down the path, humming a small Winter Veil tune to herself and to Snowsky.

1 Like
4

:smiley: I originally wanted to use those displaced by the fires but wanted someone in dalaran that my blood elf would interact with. Cute tale enjoyed the read.